European Civil Service
Encyclopedia
The European Civil Service is the civil service
serving the institutions of the European Union
, of which the largest employer is the European Commission
, the executive branch of the European Union
. It is the permanent bureaucracy
that implements the decisions of the Union's government.
Civil servants are recruited directly into the institutions after being selected by competitions set by EPSO, the official selection office. They are allocated to departments, known as Directorates-General
(DGs), each covering one or more related policy areas.
. DGs prepare proposals for their Commissioners which can then be put forward for voting in the college of Commissioners.
Whilst the Commission's DGs cover similar policy areas to the ministries
in national governments, European Civil Servants have not necessarily been trained, or worked, in a national civil service before employment in the EU. On entry, they do not therefore share a common administrative culture.
s; provided below.
has put it, even after new servants had passed the tough entrance exams: "Those at the top counted for everything. Those at the bottom counted for nothing." The chef de cabinet
of President
Jacques Delors
, Pascal Lamy
, was particularly notable for his immense influence over other civil servants. He became known as the Beast of the Berlaymont
, the Gendarme
and the Exocet
due to his habit of ordering civil servants, even Directors-General
(head of departments) "precisely what to do - or else." He was seen as ruling Delors's office with a "rod of iron", with no-one able to bypass or manipulate him and those who tried being "banished to one of the less pleasant European postings".
However, since the enlargement of the EU, and therefore the arrival of staff from the many newer Member States, there has been a change in the culture of the civil service. New civil servants from northern and eastern states brought in new influences while the Commission's focus has shifted more to "participation" and "consultation". A more egalitarian culture took over with Commissioners no longer having a "status equivalent to a sun God" and with this new populism, the first women were appointed to the Commission in the 1990s and the service gained its first female secretary general in 2006 (Catherine Day
). In stark contrast to the 1980s, it is not uncommon to see men without ties and children playing football in the corridors.
Prior to this new system, introduced in the 2000s, servants were traditionally divided into four categories. "A" was policy making (what is now AD), "B' was implementing, "C" was secretarial and "D" was drivers and messengers (B, C and D are now all part of the AST category). There were various grades in each category. The major ranks used to be in the form of A7 (new appointment) to A1 (director-general).
, currently Catherine Day
. According to figures published by the Commission, 23,043 persons were employed by the Commission as officials and temporary agents in April 2007. In addition to these, 9019 "external staff" were employed; these are largely people employed on time-limited contracts (called "contractual agents" in the jargon), staff seconded from national administrations (called "Detached National Experts"), or trainees
(called "stagiaires"). The single largest DG is the Directorate-General for Translation
, with 2186 staff.
European civil servants are sometimes referred to in the anglophone press as "Eurocrats
" (a term coined by Richard Mayne, a journalist and personal assistant to the first Commission president, Walter Hallstein
).; high-ranking officials are sometimes referred to as "European Mandarins
".
(21.4%, no other nationality exceeds 10%), who are hence massively over represented, probably due to a majority (16,626) of staff being based in the country. However, much of this number is accounted for by staff in the lower grades.
Most administration is based in the Belgian capital
, Often, those states underrepresented in the service tend to have more of their nationals in the higher ranks.
A candidate also needs to have a first degree in any discipline. The services have traditionally hired candidates with degrees in Law, Economics, or Audit; competition is tougher for graduates of all other disciplines, although the procedure for the open competitions, known as "Concours", is now under review.
The lowest grades receive between €1.618,83 brutto (FG 1 step 1) each month, while the highest grades (AD 15-16 - i.e. Directors General at the end of their career) receives between €14,822.86 and €16,094.79 a month. This salary is taxed by the EU, rather than at the national level. Taxation varies between 8% and 45% depending on individual circumstances. This is paid into the Community budget.
Earnings are augmented by allowances, such as allowances for those living outside their own country, those who are the principal earner in their household, those with children in full-time education, and those who are moving home.
Earnings are also lowered by various additional taxes (i.e "Special Levy" alias 'crisis levy' introduced in 2004 and increasing regularly every year) and indexes (for EU staff working out-side Brussels).
Employees contribute about 11.3% of their basic salary to a pension scheme, and the maximum retirement pension is 70% of their final basic salary for 35 years' service. For a contribution of 2% basic salary, employees are provided with health insurance which covers a maximum of 85% of expenses (100% for serious injury).
Salaries were considerably reduced for new entrants from 1 May 2004 onwards as a result of a significant number of reforms effected by Commissioner Neil Kinnock. The result is that staff undertaking the same work may receive very different pay, depending on when they were recruited.
Other impact of the Kinnock reform is the difficulty to recruit staff from certain countries like UK, Luxembourg, Denmark and so on, as the wages are the same or lower then in the home country. In some countries (like Luxembourg) the lowest wages (FG I - FG II) are even under the legal minimum salary in the respective country, which raise the question about legality of such terms of employment.
In January 2010, The European Commission took the EU member states to court over the Member States' refusal to honour a long-standing formula under which wages for the staff of the European institutions are indexed to the salaries of national civil servants http://www.anz.com/edna/dictionary.asp?action=content&content=wage_indexation. The formula led to a salary adjustment of 3.7% but the European Council representing the member states was only willing to grant a pay rise of 1.85% . A decision by the European Court of Justice is expected in early 2011. It has been noted that the ECJ judges who will decide in this case are themselves to benefit from any salary increase agreed.. To be noted that the index is published and applied one year and half later, and this delay cause the quarrels like in the 2010 (full crisis) where should be applied the adaptation related to the increases of wages of the national civil servants from 2007-8; while in 2011 the index was already negative (as the national wages has been lowered).
, knowing all on such procedures, hence have a semi divine status in the Commissions ranking, just below the President's cabinet
.
There has been some criticism that the highly fragmented DG structure (wastes a considerable amount of time in turf war
s as the different departments and Commissioners compete with each other, as is the case in national administrations. Furthermore the DGs can exercise considerable control over a Commissioner unless the Commissioner learns to assert control over his/her staff. The DGs work closely with the Commissioner's cabinet
. While the DG has responsibility for preparation of work and documents, the cabinet has responsibility for giving the Commissioner political guidance. However, in practice both seek a share of each others work. It has been alleged that some DGs try to influence decision making by providing Commissioners with briefing documents as late and large as possible, ensuring that the Commissioner has no time to do anything but accept the version of facts presented by the DG. In doing this the DG is competing with the cabinet, which acts as a "bodyguard
" for the Commissioner.
Under the Prodi Commission
(1999–2004) the refurbishment of the Berlaymont building
was not yet finished with headquarters transferred to the Breydel building
. Previous Commissions had located the Commissioners and their cabinets in the headquarters, separate from the Directorates-General, however Prodi decided to move the Commissioners out to the same buildings as their DGs. This was in part to reduce contact, and hence conspiracy, between Commissioners against the President. Despite this being the usual organisation for national ministries it created a great deal of tension between the cabinets and DGs who increased their competition for influence over the Commissioner.
Civil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
serving the institutions of the European Union
Institutions of the European Union
The European Union is governed by seven institutions. Article 13 of Treaty on European Union lists them in the following order: the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council of the European Union, the European Commission, the Court of Justice of the European Union, the European...
, of which the largest employer is the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
, the executive branch of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. It is the permanent bureaucracy
Bureaucracy
A bureaucracy is an organization of non-elected officials of a governmental or organization who implement the rules, laws, and functions of their institution, and are occasionally characterized by officialism and red tape.-Weberian bureaucracy:...
that implements the decisions of the Union's government.
Civil servants are recruited directly into the institutions after being selected by competitions set by EPSO, the official selection office. They are allocated to departments, known as Directorates-General
Directorate-General
A Directorate-General is a branch of an administration dedicated to a specific field of expertise.* The European Commission: Commission Directorates-General are each headed by a European Commissioner;* The European Patent Office: EPO Directorates-General;...
(DGs), each covering one or more related policy areas.
Directorates-General
The Commission is divided into departments known as Directorates-General (DGs or the services), each headed by a director-general, and various other services. Each covers a specific policy area or service such as External Relations or Translation and is under the responsibility of a European CommissionerEuropean Commissioner
A European Commissioner is a member of the 27-member European Commission. Each Member within the college holds a specific portfolio and are led by the President of the European Commission...
. DGs prepare proposals for their Commissioners which can then be put forward for voting in the college of Commissioners.
Whilst the Commission's DGs cover similar policy areas to the ministries
Ministry (government department)
A ministry is a specialised organisation responsible for a sector of government public administration, sometimes led by a minister or a senior public servant, that can have responsibility for one or more departments, agencies, bureaus, commissions or other smaller executive, advisory, managerial or...
in national governments, European Civil Servants have not necessarily been trained, or worked, in a national civil service before employment in the EU. On entry, they do not therefore share a common administrative culture.
List of Directorates-General
The Directorates-General are divided into four groups: Policy DGs, External relations DGs, General Service DGs and Internal Service DGs. Internally, the DGs are referred to by their abbreviationAbbreviation
An abbreviation is a shortened form of a word or phrase. Usually, but not always, it consists of a letter or group of letters taken from the word or phrase...
s; provided below.
| Departments (DGs) | ||
|---|---|---|
| DG | Abb. | Relevant Commissioner |
| Agriculture and Rural Development Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development The Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development or DG AGRI is a Directorate-General of the European Commission. The DG AGRI is responsible for the European Union policy area of agriculture and rural development... |
AGRI | European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development |
| Budget Directorate-General for Budget (European Commission) The Directorate-General for Budget is a Directorate-General of the European Commission.The task of the Directorate-General for Budget is to secure from the budgetary authority - the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union - the resources needed to implement the European Union's... |
BUDG | European Commissioner for Financial Programming and the Budget |
| Climate Action Directorate-General for Climate Action (European Commission) The Directorate-General for Climate Action or DG CLIMA, established in February 2010, is a department of the European Commission. The current Commissioner is Connie Hedegaard. Climate change was previously the responsibility of the Directorate-General for the Environment... |
CLIMA | European Commissioner for Climate Action European Commissioner for Climate Action The Commissioner for Cimate Action is a new post in the European Commission. It was created in 2010, being split from the environmental portfolio to focus on fighting climate change. The current Commissioner is Connie Hedegaard.... |
| Communication Directorate-General Communication (European Commission) The Directorate-General Communication is a Directorate-General of the European Commission.The mission of the DG Communication is:* To inform the media and citizens of the activities of the European Commission and to communicate the objectives and goals of its policies and actions.* To inform the... |
COMM | European Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship |
| Competition Directorate-General for Competition (European Commission) The Directorate-General for Competition is a Directorate-General of the European Commission, located in Brussels, Belgium. The DG Competition is responsible for establishing and implementing a coherent competition policy for the European Union. The DG Competition has a dual role in antitrust... |
COMP | European Commissioner for Competition |
| Economic and Financial Affairs Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs (European Commission) The Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs is a Directorate-General of the European Commission. The DG ECFIN is located in Brussels, Belgium, and Luxembourg... |
ECFIN | European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs |
| Education and Culture Directorate-General for Education and Culture (European Commission) The Directorate-General for Education and Culture is a Directorate-General of the European Commission.The Education and Culture Directorate-General’s mission has three main aspects:* Building a Europe of knowledge... |
EAC | European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth |
| Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities (European Commission) The Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities is a Directorate-General of the European Commission. The Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities has the task of contributing to the development of a modern, innovative and sustainable... |
EMPL | European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion |
| Energy Directorate-General for Energy (European Commission) The Directorate-General for Energy , also internally the abbreviation ENER is used, is a Directorate-General of the European Commission... |
ENER | European Commissioner for Energy European Commissioner for Energy The Commissioner for Energy is a member of the European Commission. The current Commissioner is Günther Oettinger .-Responsibilities:The Commissioner holds responsibility for the European Union's energy policy as well as nuclear issues . It was previously a backwater in the Commission but has now... |
| Enlargement Directorate-General for Enlargement (European Commission) The Directorate-General for Enlargement is a Directorate-General of the European Commission. The DG Enlargement is responsible for the enlargement process of the European Union... |
ELARG | European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy |
| Enterprise and Industry Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry (European Commission) The Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry is a Directorate-General of the European Commission. The Enterprise Directorate-General works on creating an environment in which European firms can thrive... |
ENTR | European Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship |
| Environment Directorate-General for the Environment (European Commission) The Directorate-General for the Environment is a Directorate-General of the European Commission, responsible for the European Union policy area of the environment.... |
ENV | European Commissioner for the Environment |
| EuropeAid Development and Cooperation EuropeAid Development and Cooperation The Development and Cooperation - EuropeAid Directorate General is one of the departments of the European Commission. EuropeAid operates under the authority of the European Commissioner for Development, Andris Piebalgs.- Background :... |
DEVCO | European Commissioner for Development |
| Eurostat Eurostat Eurostat is a Directorate-General of the European Commission located in Luxembourg. Its main responsibilities are to provide the European Union with statistical information at European level and to promote the integration of statistical methods across the Member States of the European Union,... |
ESTAT | |
| Foreign Policy Instruments Service Foreign Policy Instruments Service The Foreign Policy Instruments Service is a department of the European Commission set up in response to the establishment of the European External Action Service... |
EEAS | High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy is the main co-ordinator and representative of the Common Foreign and Security Policy within the European Union... |
| Health and Consumers Directorate-General for Health and Consumer Protection (European Commission) The Directorate-General for Health and Consumers , formerly Directorate-General for Health and Consumer Protection and often abbreviated as "SANCO" or "DG-SANCO" for the French words Santé & Consommateurs , is a Directorate-General of the European Commission... |
SANCO | European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy The Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy is the member of the European Commission. The current Commissioner John Dalli. The portfolio is responsible for matters of public health, food safety, animal health, welfare and consumer affairs.-Kyprianou:... |
| Home Affairs Directorate-General for Home Affairs (European Commission) The Directorate-General for Home Affairs is a Directorate-General of the European Commission created in 2010 when the DG Justice, Freedom and Security was split in two. The role of the "DG Home Affairs" is ensure the EU's security, aiming to create an area of freedom, security and justice... |
HOME | European Commissioner for Home Affairs |
| Humanitarian Aid ECHO (European Commission) The Humanitarian Aid department of the European Commission , formerly known as the European Community Humanitarian Aid Office, is the European Commission's department for overseas humanitarian aid... |
ECHO | European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response |
| Human Resources and Security Directorate-General for Personnel and Administration (European Commission) The Directorate-General for Personnel and Administration is a Directorate-General of the European Commission.The essential mission of the Directorate-General is to ensure the European Commission runs smoothly by laying down its policies on human resources and security.-Human Resources:*Career... |
HR | |
| Informatics Directorate-General for Informatics (European Commission) The Directorate-General for Informatics is a Directorate-General of the European Commission.The mission of the DG Informatics is to define the IT strategy of the Commission and to provide a modern and high-performance information technology and telecommunications infrastructure.The current... |
DIGIT | |
| Information Society and Media Directorate-General for Information Society and Media (European Commission) EU Directorate General Information Society and Media or "DG Infso" is a Directorate-General of the European Commission.The current European Commissioner for Digital Agenda is Neelie Kroes and the Director-General is Robert Madelin.... |
INFSO | European Commissioner for Digital Agenda European Commissioner for Digital Agenda The Commissioner for Digital Agenda is a member of the European Commission responsible for media and information issues such as telecoms and IT... |
| Internal Market and Services Directorate-General for Internal Market and Services (European Commission) The Directorate-General for Internal Market and Services is a Directorate-General of the European Commission. The main role of the DG Internal Market and Services is to coordinate the European Commission’s policy on the European Single Market, which aims to ensure the free movement of people,... |
MARKT | European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services |
| Interpretation Directorate-General for Interpretation (European Commission) The Directorate-General for Interpretation is a Directorate-General of the European Commission... |
SCIC | |
| Joint Research Centre | JRC | |
| Justice | JUST | European Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship |
| Maritime Affairs and Fisheries | MARE | European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries |
| Mobility and Transport | MOVE | European Commissioner for Transport European Commissioner for Transport The Commissioner for Transport is the member of the European Commission. The current commissioner is Siim Kallas.The portfolio is responsible for the development of transport infastructure in the European Union such as road and rail networks but also navigation systems such as the Galileo... |
| Regional Policy Directorate-General for Regional Policy (European Commission) The Directorate-General for Regional Policy is a Directorate-General of the European Commission.The DG Regional Policy is responsible for European Union measures to assist the economic and social development of the less-favoured regions of the European Union under Articles 158 and 160 of the Treaty... |
REGIO | European Commissioner for Regional Policy European Commissioner for Regional Policy The Commissioner for Regional Policy is a portfolio within the European Commission. The current Commissioner is Johannes Hahn.The portfolio is responsible for managing the regional policy of the European Union, such as the European Regional Development Fund, which takes up a third of the EU's... |
| Research and Innovation Directorate-General for Research (European Commission) The Directorate-General for Research or DG Research, located in Brussels, is a Directorate-General of the European Commission.- Mission :The Directorate General’s mission is evolving as work on the European Research Area continues... |
RTD | European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science |
| Secretariat General Secretariat-General of the European Commission The Secretariat-General of the European Commission is a Directorate-General of the European Commission. The DG Secretariat-General is based in the Berlaymont in Brussels . The DG Secretariat-General supports the whole of the Commission, and in particular the 27 Commissioners... |
SG | |
| Taxation and Customs Union Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union (European Commission) The Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union is a Directorate-General of the European Commission. The DG Taxation and Customs manages, defends and develops the customs union as a vital part of protecting the external borders of the European Union... |
TAXUD | European Commissioner for Taxation and Customs Union, Audit and Anti-Fraud European Commissioner for Taxation and Customs Union, Audit and Anti-Fraud The Commissioner for Taxation and Customs Union, Audit and Anti-Fraud is the member of the European Commission. The current commissioner is Algirdas Šemeta. The post was previously divided prior to 2010, with audit being under control of the Commissioner for Administrative Affairs.The post is... |
| Trade Directorate-General for Trade (European Commission) The Directorate-General for Trade is a Directorate-General of the European Commission. DG Trade works on securing prosperity, solidarity and security in Europe and around the globe... |
TRADE | European Commissioner for Trade European Commissioner for Trade The European Commissioner for Trade is the member of the European Commission responsible for the European Union's common commercial policy... |
| Translation Directorate-General for Translation (European Commission) The Directorate-General for Translation , located in Brussels and Luxembourg, provides translation of written text into and out of the European Union's twenty-three official languages. With an annual output of about 1.5 million pages, it is the largest translation service in the world, employing... |
DGT | |
List of services
| Services | |
|---|---|
| Bureau of European Policy Advisers Bureau of European Policy Advisers (European Commission) The Bureau of European Policy Advisers is a Directorate-General of the European Commission.The Bureau of European Policy Advisers is a department of the European Commission, reporting directly to the President of the European Commission and under his authority... |
BEPA |
| Central Library | |
| European Anti-Fraud Office | OLAF |
| European Commission Data Protection Officer European Commission Data Protection Officer The European Commission Data Protection Officer is a position in the European Commission responsible for independently ensuring the application, within the Commission, of Regulation 45/2001 regarding data protection... |
|
| Historical archives | |
| Infrastructures and Logistics - Brussels Office of Infrastructure and Logistics (European Commission) The Office of Infrastructure and Logistics is a Directorate-General of the European Commission. The Office for Infrastructure and Logistics, Brussels and the Office of Infrastructure and Logistics, Luxembourg were created according to a Commission decision of November 6, 2002.-Office for... |
OIB |
| Infrastructures and Logistics - Luxembourg Office of Infrastructure and Logistics (European Commission) The Office of Infrastructure and Logistics is a Directorate-General of the European Commission. The Office for Infrastructure and Logistics, Brussels and the Office of Infrastructure and Logistics, Luxembourg were created according to a Commission decision of November 6, 2002.-Office for... |
OIL |
| Internal Audit Service Internal Audit Service (European Commission) The Internal Audit Service or IAS is a Directorate-General of the European Commission.The mission of the IAS is to:* issue independent audit opinions on the quality of management and internal control systems... |
IAS |
| Legal Service Directorate-General for Legal Service (European Commission) The Directorate-General for Legal Service is a Directorate-General of the European Commission.The Legal Service provides comprehensive in-house assistance to the European Commission and all its departments. Its resources have to be deployed to cover all Commission activities and areas of... |
SJ |
| Office For Administration And Payment Of Individual Entitlements | PMO |
| Publications Office | OP |
Hierarchy
During the 1980s, the Commission was primarily dominated by French, German and Italian cultural influences, including a strictly hierarchical organisation. Commissioners and Directors-General were referred to by their title (in French) with greater prestige for those of higher ranks. As one former servant, Derk Jan EppinkDerk Jan Eppink
Derk Jan Eppink is a Dutch journalist, politician in Belgium, and former cabinet secretary for European Commissioners Bolkestein and Kallas . In 2009, he was elected to the European Parliament for List Dedecker and sits on the European Conservatives and Reformists Group Executive.Eppink was...
has put it, even after new servants had passed the tough entrance exams: "Those at the top counted for everything. Those at the bottom counted for nothing." The chef de cabinet
Chief of Staff
The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
of President
President of the European Commission
The President of the European Commission is the head of the European Commission ― the executive branch of the :European Union ― the most powerful officeholder in the EU. The President is responsible for allocating portfolios to members of the Commission and can reshuffle or dismiss them if needed...
Jacques Delors
Jacques Delors
Jacques Lucien Jean Delors is a French economist and politician, the eighth President of the European Commission and the first person to serve three terms in that office .-French Politics:...
, Pascal Lamy
Pascal Lamy
Pascal Lamy is the Director-General of the World Trade Organization, a French political advisor, a businessman, and a former European Commissioner for Trade...
, was particularly notable for his immense influence over other civil servants. He became known as the Beast of the Berlaymont
Berlaymont building
The Berlaymont is an office building in Brussels, Belgium that houses the headquarters of the European Commission, which is the executive of the European Union...
, the Gendarme
Gendarmerie
A gendarmerie or gendarmery is a military force charged with police duties among civilian populations. Members of such a force are typically called "gendarmes". The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary describes a gendarme as "a soldier who is employed on police duties" and a "gendarmery, -erie" as...
and the Exocet
Exocet
The Exocet is a French-built anti-ship missile whose various versions can be launched from surface vessels, submarines, helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. Hundreds were fired in combat during the 1980s.-Etymology:...
due to his habit of ordering civil servants, even Directors-General
Directorate-General
A Directorate-General is a branch of an administration dedicated to a specific field of expertise.* The European Commission: Commission Directorates-General are each headed by a European Commissioner;* The European Patent Office: EPO Directorates-General;...
(head of departments) "precisely what to do - or else." He was seen as ruling Delors's office with a "rod of iron", with no-one able to bypass or manipulate him and those who tried being "banished to one of the less pleasant European postings".
However, since the enlargement of the EU, and therefore the arrival of staff from the many newer Member States, there has been a change in the culture of the civil service. New civil servants from northern and eastern states brought in new influences while the Commission's focus has shifted more to "participation" and "consultation". A more egalitarian culture took over with Commissioners no longer having a "status equivalent to a sun God" and with this new populism, the first women were appointed to the Commission in the 1990s and the service gained its first female secretary general in 2006 (Catherine Day
Catherine Day
Catherine Day is the current Secretary-General of the European Commission. She has been in that position since 2005 during the Barroso Commission, having previously been the Director General for the Environment....
). In stark contrast to the 1980s, it is not uncommon to see men without ties and children playing football in the corridors.
Grades
Staff are divided into a set of grades: from AD 5, the most junior administrator grade, to AD 16, which is a director-general (AD = administrator). Alongside the AD category is AST (assistant). It is now possible for civil servants to be promoted from AST to AD grade, not previously possible (see below); however in practice the grades remain entrenched. While promotion is in theory according to merit, many management posts are now taken by officials 'parachuted in' from member states. Moreover, staff reforms introduced in 2004 have severely reduced the possibilities for career progression and have created divisions within the service, with pre-2004 entrants enjoying greater pay and privileges. According to the Commission's own internal statistics, even though new officials possess an average of eight years work experience, it would take an average of over 40 years to climb from AD 5 to AD 16.Prior to this new system, introduced in the 2000s, servants were traditionally divided into four categories. "A" was policy making (what is now AD), "B' was implementing, "C" was secretarial and "D" was drivers and messengers (B, C and D are now all part of the AST category). There were various grades in each category. The major ranks used to be in the form of A7 (new appointment) to A1 (director-general).
Staff
The Commission's civil service is headed by a Secretary GeneralSecretary-General of the European Commission
The Secretary-General of the European Commission is the senior civil servant of the European Commission. The Secretary-General, who is responsible to the President of the European Commission, is in charge of the various Directorates-General, headed by Directors-General.His/her personal staff form...
, currently Catherine Day
Catherine Day
Catherine Day is the current Secretary-General of the European Commission. She has been in that position since 2005 during the Barroso Commission, having previously been the Director General for the Environment....
. According to figures published by the Commission, 23,043 persons were employed by the Commission as officials and temporary agents in April 2007. In addition to these, 9019 "external staff" were employed; these are largely people employed on time-limited contracts (called "contractual agents" in the jargon), staff seconded from national administrations (called "Detached National Experts"), or trainees
Traineeship scheme of the European Commission
The traineeship scheme of the European Commission is an internship program providing official in-service training with the European Commission, aimed at young university graduates...
(called "stagiaires"). The single largest DG is the Directorate-General for Translation
Directorate-General for Translation (European Commission)
The Directorate-General for Translation , located in Brussels and Luxembourg, provides translation of written text into and out of the European Union's twenty-three official languages. With an annual output of about 1.5 million pages, it is the largest translation service in the world, employing...
, with 2186 staff.
European civil servants are sometimes referred to in the anglophone press as "Eurocrats
Eurocrat
Eurocrat is a neologism used by press with rather vague meaning used by mainly eurosceptic press to refer either to the Civil Servants of the European Union or its political representation as a Member of the European Commission or European Parliament....
" (a term coined by Richard Mayne, a journalist and personal assistant to the first Commission president, Walter Hallstein
Walter Hallstein
Walter Hallstein was a German politician and professor.He was one of the key figures of European integration after World War II, becoming the first President of the Commission of the European Economic Community, serving from 1958 to 1967. He famously defined his position as "a kind of Prime...
).; high-ranking officials are sometimes referred to as "European Mandarins
Mandarin (bureaucrat)
A mandarin was a bureaucrat in imperial China, and also in the monarchist days of Vietnam where the system of Imperial examinations and scholar-bureaucrats was adopted under Chinese influence.-History and use of the term:...
".
Nationality
There are staff from all member states, with the largest group being BelgianBelgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
(21.4%, no other nationality exceeds 10%), who are hence massively over represented, probably due to a majority (16,626) of staff being based in the country. However, much of this number is accounted for by staff in the lower grades.
Most administration is based in the Belgian capital
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Often, those states underrepresented in the service tend to have more of their nationals in the higher ranks.
Qualifications
One of the entry qualifications for the European civil service is that the candidate speak at least two of the official European languages, one of which must be English, French or German. Prior to their first promotion, officials must demonstrate competence in a third EU official language.A candidate also needs to have a first degree in any discipline. The services have traditionally hired candidates with degrees in Law, Economics, or Audit; competition is tougher for graduates of all other disciplines, although the procedure for the open competitions, known as "Concours", is now under review.
Salary and allowances
EU civil and other servants work 37.5 hours a week, though they are theoretically available 24/7. They receive a minimum of 24 days of leave a year (maximum of 30), with additional leave entitlements on grounds of age, grade and distance from home country.The lowest grades receive between €1.618,83 brutto (FG 1 step 1) each month, while the highest grades (AD 15-16 - i.e. Directors General at the end of their career) receives between €14,822.86 and €16,094.79 a month. This salary is taxed by the EU, rather than at the national level. Taxation varies between 8% and 45% depending on individual circumstances. This is paid into the Community budget.
Earnings are augmented by allowances, such as allowances for those living outside their own country, those who are the principal earner in their household, those with children in full-time education, and those who are moving home.
Earnings are also lowered by various additional taxes (i.e "Special Levy" alias 'crisis levy' introduced in 2004 and increasing regularly every year) and indexes (for EU staff working out-side Brussels).
Employees contribute about 11.3% of their basic salary to a pension scheme, and the maximum retirement pension is 70% of their final basic salary for 35 years' service. For a contribution of 2% basic salary, employees are provided with health insurance which covers a maximum of 85% of expenses (100% for serious injury).
Salaries were considerably reduced for new entrants from 1 May 2004 onwards as a result of a significant number of reforms effected by Commissioner Neil Kinnock. The result is that staff undertaking the same work may receive very different pay, depending on when they were recruited.
Other impact of the Kinnock reform is the difficulty to recruit staff from certain countries like UK, Luxembourg, Denmark and so on, as the wages are the same or lower then in the home country. In some countries (like Luxembourg) the lowest wages (FG I - FG II) are even under the legal minimum salary in the respective country, which raise the question about legality of such terms of employment.
In January 2010, The European Commission took the EU member states to court over the Member States' refusal to honour a long-standing formula under which wages for the staff of the European institutions are indexed to the salaries of national civil servants http://www.anz.com/edna/dictionary.asp?action=content&content=wage_indexation. The formula led to a salary adjustment of 3.7% but the European Council representing the member states was only willing to grant a pay rise of 1.85% . A decision by the European Court of Justice is expected in early 2011. It has been noted that the ECJ judges who will decide in this case are themselves to benefit from any salary increase agreed.. To be noted that the index is published and applied one year and half later, and this delay cause the quarrels like in the 2010 (full crisis) where should be applied the adaptation related to the increases of wages of the national civil servants from 2007-8; while in 2011 the index was already negative (as the national wages has been lowered).
Criticism
It has been alleged that, for want of a common administrative culture, European Civil Servants are held together by a "common mission" which gives DGs a particularly enthusiastic attitude to the production of draft legislation regardless of the intentions of the Commissioner. They are also notably bound by their common procedures, which have become a sacred rite in the absence of a common administrative culture. The Secretariat-GeneralSecretariat-General of the European Commission
The Secretariat-General of the European Commission is a Directorate-General of the European Commission. The DG Secretariat-General is based in the Berlaymont in Brussels . The DG Secretariat-General supports the whole of the Commission, and in particular the 27 Commissioners...
, knowing all on such procedures, hence have a semi divine status in the Commissions ranking, just below the President's cabinet
Cabinet (European Commission)
In the European Commission, a cabinet is the personal office of a European Commissioner. The role of a cabinet is to give political guidance to its Commissioner, while technical preparation is handled by the DGs .-Composition:The Commissioner's cabinets are seen as the real concentration of power...
.
There has been some criticism that the highly fragmented DG structure (wastes a considerable amount of time in turf war
Turf war
According to Wordnet the definition of a turf war is "a bitter struggle for territory or power or control or rights". For example: a turf war erupted between street gangs; the president's resignation was the result of a turf war with the board of directors. In larger companies Turf wars could...
s as the different departments and Commissioners compete with each other, as is the case in national administrations. Furthermore the DGs can exercise considerable control over a Commissioner unless the Commissioner learns to assert control over his/her staff. The DGs work closely with the Commissioner's cabinet
Cabinet (European Commission)
In the European Commission, a cabinet is the personal office of a European Commissioner. The role of a cabinet is to give political guidance to its Commissioner, while technical preparation is handled by the DGs .-Composition:The Commissioner's cabinets are seen as the real concentration of power...
. While the DG has responsibility for preparation of work and documents, the cabinet has responsibility for giving the Commissioner political guidance. However, in practice both seek a share of each others work. It has been alleged that some DGs try to influence decision making by providing Commissioners with briefing documents as late and large as possible, ensuring that the Commissioner has no time to do anything but accept the version of facts presented by the DG. In doing this the DG is competing with the cabinet, which acts as a "bodyguard
Bodyguard
A bodyguard is a type of security operative or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous, wealthy, or politically important figure—from assault, kidnapping, assassination, stalking, loss of confidential information, terrorist attack or other threats.Most important public figures such...
" for the Commissioner.
Under the Prodi Commission
Prodi Commission
The Prodi Commission was the European Commission in office between 1999 and 2004. The administration was led by former Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi.-History:...
(1999–2004) the refurbishment of the Berlaymont building
Berlaymont building
The Berlaymont is an office building in Brussels, Belgium that houses the headquarters of the European Commission, which is the executive of the European Union...
was not yet finished with headquarters transferred to the Breydel building
Breydel building
The Breydel building is an office block in the European Quarter of Brussels that served as a temporary headquarters for the European Commission between 1991 and 2004....
. Previous Commissions had located the Commissioners and their cabinets in the headquarters, separate from the Directorates-General, however Prodi decided to move the Commissioners out to the same buildings as their DGs. This was in part to reduce contact, and hence conspiracy, between Commissioners against the President. Despite this being the usual organisation for national ministries it created a great deal of tension between the cabinets and DGs who increased their competition for influence over the Commissioner.
External links
- European Commission Civil Service, Europa (web portal)Europa (web portal)Europa is the official web portal of the European Union . It is intended to improve the public’s interaction with EU institutions by quickly directing website visitors to the services or information they are seeking. Europa links to all EU agencies and institutions in addition to press releases...
- Opportunities in Europe UK Cabinet OfficeCabinet OfficeThe Cabinet Office is a department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for supporting the Prime Minister and Cabinet of the United Kingdom....
: Careers - http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:348:0009:0009:EN:PDF